How much sugar is in a can of Coke?

A 355 mL can of Coca-Cola contains about 39 grams of added sugar, which is just under 10 teaspoons. That single can exceeds the American Heart Association daily added sugar limit for women (25 grams) and is close to the limit for men (36 grams).

How much sugar per day is too much?

The American Heart Association suggests no more than 25 grams of added sugar a day for women and 36 grams for men, which is about 6 and 9 teaspoons. The World Health Organization recommends keeping added sugar under 10 percent of daily calories, and says there is additional benefit below 5 percent. These limits apply to added sugar, not the naturally occurring sugar in whole fruit, vegetables, and plain dairy.

Is the sugar in fruit as bad as added sugar?

No. Whole fruit carries its sugar alongside fiber and water, which slows absorption and produces a much flatter blood sugar response than the same amount of sugar in a drink. Fruit juice is a different matter, since juicing removes the fiber: a cup of orange juice has about 21 grams of sugar and behaves much more like a soft drink than like an orange.

Which healthy foods have the most hidden sugar?

Bottled smoothies (about 54 grams), fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt (about 22 grams, more than a scoop of ice cream), coffee shop muffins (about 35 grams), granola (about 12 grams per half cup), flavored instant oatmeal (about 12 grams per packet), and dried cranberries (about 26 grams per quarter cup, because they are candied to make them palatable).

How much sugar is in that?

Grams and teaspoons, per the serving people actually have. Added sugar is marked separately from the naturally occurring kind, because an apple and a cola are not the same thing and no honest list would pretend otherwise.

Free reference, no email needed

Which one would you call the treat?

Sold as the health option

13.5

teaspoons in a bottled smoothie

Sold as a treat

teaspoons in a can of Coca-Cola

The smoothie carries nearly four teaspoons more than the Coke.

What the numbers mean

Four grams is one teaspoon. That conversion is the whole trick. Thirty-nine grams sounds like a label. Ten teaspoons sounds like what it is.

The daily ceiling for added sugar is about 25 g (6 tsp) for women and 36 g (9 tsp) for men, per the American Heart Association. The World Health Organization frames it as under 10 percent of daily calories, with further benefit below 5 percent. One bottled smoothie clears either limit on its own.

Those limits are about added sugar. They are not about the sugar in an orange.

What one serving is really carrying

Bottled smoothie13.5 tsp
1 bottle (450 mL) · 54 g
Coca-Cola10 tsp
1 can (355 mL) · 39 g
Coffee shop muffin9 tsp
1 large · 35 g
Fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt5.5 tsp
1 container (175 g) · 22 g
Plain Greek yogurt1.5 tsp
1 container (175 g) · 6 g

The upright rule marks 25 g, six teaspoons, a woman's whole day of added sugar. Anything drawn past it has spent the day on its own.

Whole fruit is not the problem

Fruit is on this list so you can see it in context, not so you will start avoiding it. A cup of grapes has 23 grams of sugar and a can of Coke has 39, but the grapes arrive with fiber, water, and volume, which slows absorption and flattens the curve. The cola arrives with nothing.

Juice is where this breaks down. Take the fiber out and you have most of the sugar with none of the brakes, which is why orange juice sits closer to a soft drink than to an orange. Same fruit, very different behaviour.

If you want the mechanism rather than the numbers, that's the sugar-craving cycle.

Alcohol is not on this list, and it is the one drink where the sugar count tells you almost nothing. A dry wine has about 3 grams and still does more to your blood sugar overnight than a soft drink does in the afternoon. Why that happens is worth ten minutes if you drink at all.

Search a food or drink

Showing all 57 foods and drinks, by category.

Drinks

Bottled smoothie1 bottle (450 mL)Added and naturalDrinksSold as the health option. More sugar than a can of Coke, because the fruit is blended and concentrated with the fiber broken down.

Sugar 54 g

Teaspoons 13.5 tsp

Coca-Cola1 can (355 mL)Added sugarDrinksThe reference point most people know. Nearly 10 teaspoons.

Sugar 39 g

Teaspoons 10 tsp

Bottled sweet tea1 bottle (500 mL)Added sugarDrinks

Sugar 36 g

Teaspoons 9 tsp

Sports drink1 bottle (591 mL)Added sugarDrinksDesigned for endurance athletes losing electrolytes over hours, not for a desk.

Sugar 34 g

Teaspoons 8.5 tsp

Flavored latteMedium (473 mL)Added and naturalDrinksSyrup plus milk sugar. Ordering it half-sweet genuinely halves the syrup.

Sugar 33 g

Teaspoons 8.5 tsp

Vitamin water1 bottle (591 mL)Added sugarDrinks

Sugar 32 g

Teaspoons 8 tsp

Energy drink1 can (473 mL)Added sugarDrinks

Sugar 27 g

Teaspoons 7 tsp

Chocolate milk1 cup (250 mL)Added and naturalDrinksAbout half is milk sugar, about half is added.

Sugar 24 g

Teaspoons 6 tsp

Orange juice1 cup (250 mL)Naturally occurringDrinksNo added sugar and still a fast hit, because juicing removes the fiber that would have slowed it down.

Sugar 21 g

Teaspoons 5.5 tsp

Kombucha1 bottle (355 mL)Added and naturalDrinks

Sugar 12 g

Teaspoons 3 tsp

Sweetened almond milk1 cup (250 mL)Added sugarDrinksThe unsweetened version is 0. Same carton design, one word different.

Sugar 7 g

Teaspoons 2 tsp

Black coffeeAny sizeNaturally occurringDrinks

Sugar 0 g

Teaspoons 0 tsp

Sparkling waterAny sizeNaturally occurringDrinks

Sugar 0 g

Teaspoons 0 tsp

Breakfast

Coffee shop muffin1 largeAdded sugarBreakfastCake, structurally and nutritionally. The bran ones too.

Sugar 35 g

Teaspoons 9 tsp

Pancake syrup2 tbsp (30 mL)Added sugarBreakfast

Sugar 24 g

Teaspoons 6 tsp

Granola1/2 cup (55 g)Added sugarBreakfastAnd almost nobody pours half a cup. Measure it once and see.

Sugar 12 g

Teaspoons 3 tsp

Frosted cereal3/4 cup (30 g)Added sugarBreakfast

Sugar 12 g

Teaspoons 3 tsp

Flavored instant oatmeal1 packet (43 g)Added sugarBreakfastPlain oats are 1 g. The flavoring is doing all of this.

Sugar 12 g

Teaspoons 3 tsp

Jam or jelly1 tbsp (20 g)Added sugarBreakfast

Sugar 10 g

Teaspoons 2.5 tsp

Bagel, plain1 mediumAdded sugarBreakfast

Sugar 6 g

Teaspoons 1.5 tsp

Plain oats1/2 cup dry (40 g)Naturally occurringBreakfast

Sugar 1 g

Teaspoons 0.5 tsp

Yogurt & dairy

Fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt1 container (175 g)Added and naturalYogurt & dairyMore sugar than a scoop of ice cream, in the aisle people shop for health.

Sugar 22 g

Teaspoons 5.5 tsp

Flavored yogurt1 container (175 g)Added and naturalYogurt & dairy

Sugar 18 g

Teaspoons 4.5 tsp

Ice cream1/2 cup (66 g)Added sugarYogurt & dairy

Sugar 14 g

Teaspoons 3.5 tsp

Milk1 cup (250 mL)Naturally occurringYogurt & dairyAll lactose, none added. Milk is not the problem.

Sugar 12 g

Teaspoons 3 tsp

Plain Greek yogurt1 container (175 g)Naturally occurringYogurt & dairyThe swap that quietly removes 12 to 16 g a day if you eat yogurt daily.

Sugar 6 g

Teaspoons 1.5 tsp

Snacks & bars

Dried cranberries1/4 cup (40 g)Added sugarSnacks & barsCranberries are too sour to dry without sweetening, so these are candied. Raisins, by contrast, have nothing added.

Sugar 26 g

Teaspoons 6.5 tsp

Raisins1/4 cup (40 g)Naturally occurringSnacks & barsNo added sugar. Just a whole lot of grape in a very small package.

Sugar 25 g

Teaspoons 6.5 tsp

Protein bar1 barAdded sugarSnacks & barsRanges enormously. Some are honest, some are a chocolate bar with whey in it.

Sugar 15 g

Teaspoons 4 tsp

Fruit snacks1 pouch (26 g)Added sugarSnacks & bars

Sugar 11 g

Teaspoons 3 tsp

Granola bar1 barAdded sugarSnacks & bars

Sugar 8 g

Teaspoons 2 tsp

Trail mix with chocolate1/4 cup (35 g)Added and naturalSnacks & bars

Sugar 8 g

Teaspoons 2 tsp

Sauces & condiments

Hoisin sauce2 tbsp (32 g)Added sugarSauces & condiments

Sugar 16 g

Teaspoons 4 tsp

Teriyaki sauce2 tbsp (30 mL)Added sugarSauces & condiments

Sugar 14 g

Teaspoons 3.5 tsp

Sweet chili sauce2 tbsp (30 mL)Added sugarSauces & condiments

Sugar 14 g

Teaspoons 3.5 tsp

Barbecue sauce2 tbsp (30 mL)Added sugarSauces & condimentsUsually the second ingredient after tomato.

Sugar 12 g

Teaspoons 3 tsp

Honey mustard2 tbsp (30 mL)Added sugarSauces & condiments

Sugar 8 g

Teaspoons 2 tsp

Pasta sauce, jarred1/2 cup (125 mL)Added and naturalSauces & condimentsTomatoes bring a few grams on their own. The rest was put there.

Sugar 7 g

Teaspoons 2 tsp

Sweet salad dressing2 tbsp (30 mL)Added sugarSauces & condiments

Sugar 5 g

Teaspoons 1.5 tsp

Ketchup1 tbsp (17 g)Added sugarSauces & condimentsA teaspoon of sugar per tablespoon, which is the whole reason it tastes the way it does.

Sugar 4 g

Teaspoons 1 tsp

Bread & crackers

Hamburger bun1 bunAdded sugarBread & crackers

Sugar 4 g

Teaspoons 1 tsp

Flavored crackers16 crackers (30 g)Added sugarBread & crackers

Sugar 3 g

Teaspoons 1 tsp

Whole wheat bread1 sliceAdded sugarBread & crackers

Sugar 2 g

Teaspoons 0.5 tsp

White bread1 sliceAdded sugarBread & crackers

Sugar 2 g

Teaspoons 0.5 tsp

Desserts

Slice of frosted cake1 sliceAdded sugarDesserts

Sugar 35 g

Teaspoons 9 tsp

Candy, small bag1 bag (50 g)Added sugarDesserts

Sugar 30 g

Teaspoons 7.5 tsp

Chocolate bar1 bar (45 g)Added sugarDesserts

Sugar 24 g

Teaspoons 6 tsp

Glazed donut1 donutAdded sugarDessertsGenuinely less sugar than the fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt above it.

Sugar 12 g

Teaspoons 3 tsp

Chocolate chip cookie1 mediumAdded sugarDesserts

Sugar 10 g

Teaspoons 2.5 tsp

Whole fruit

Grapes1 cup (151 g)Naturally occurringWhole fruit

Sugar 23 g

Teaspoons 6 tsp

Apple1 medium (182 g)Naturally occurringWhole fruitComes with 4 g of fiber and a lot of water, which is why it lands very differently than 19 g of cola.

Sugar 19 g

Teaspoons 5 tsp

Blueberries1 cup (148 g)Naturally occurringWhole fruit

Sugar 15 g

Teaspoons 4 tsp

Banana1 medium (118 g)Naturally occurringWhole fruit

Sugar 14 g

Teaspoons 3.5 tsp

Orange1 medium (140 g)Naturally occurringWhole fruit

Sugar 12 g

Teaspoons 3 tsp

Watermelon1 cup (152 g)Naturally occurringWhole fruit

Sugar 9 g

Teaspoons 2.5 tsp

Strawberries1 cup (152 g)Naturally occurringWhole fruit

Sugar 7 g

Teaspoons 2 tsp

Raspberries1 cup (123 g)Naturally occurringWhole fruitLowest sugar, highest fiber of the common fruits. Eat them freely.

Sugar 5 g

Teaspoons 1.5 tsp

About these numbers

These are typical values for a standard product, rounded to whole grams. Brands vary enormously, especially for bars, sauces, yogurt, and anything from a coffee shop, so treat these as a realistic guide and read the label on the thing in your hand.

Serving sizes here are the amounts people actually eat, which sometimes differ from the serving printed on the package. That gap is deliberate on the manufacturer's side more often than not.

Naturally occurring means the sugar was already in the food, as in milk or whole fruit. Added means it was put there. Both means some of each, which is common in flavored dairy and jarred sauces.

Once you can see it, the label is the next step

Sugar hides behind more than 85 names on an ingredient list, which is how it gets past people who are genuinely reading. Every name sugar goes by is the companion to this page, and hidden sugar in healthy foods covers the products that catch the most people.

Cutting all of it at once is the approach that fails, reliably and for well-documented reasons. Here's what works instead, and the Plate Builder puts it into practice tonight.

Take the free craving quiz